A year after Operation Sindoor, scars of shelling run deep in Poonch

THe howl of shells exterior was thunderous, its terrifying set up reverberating around the neighbourhood. Sanjeev Kumar, 48, watched the tv relay news of mortar shells hitting his home town of Poonch. Hours earlier, in the dead of night, India had hit nine terror targets across the border in Pakistan, retaliating for the deaths of 26 people in the Pahalgam terror strike.Quickly, Kumar made a decision. The family had to leave town. He corralled his son Vihaan and wifeRashmiSudan into the car and set off for Jammu, hoping to seek safety in the Union Territory’s winter capital.It was not to be. Around 10.30am, as the family was driving through the Khanetar area on the outskirts of Poonch, a shell exploded near the car, its splinters piercing the glass and injuring Vihaan. The 14-year-old boy died hours later.One year later, Kumar has yet to come to terms with that moment.“Life is not the same anymore. I don’t go anywhere. I keep looking at his sketches — we have kept them in his room just the way he left them. A year has passed, but it feels like he was with us only yesterday,” said Kumar, a government school teacher.“My wife was also injured in the shelling and is still undergoing treatment. We request the administration and the government to build a memorial for all those who lost their lives in Poonch,” he added.Vihaan was one of 28people killed in shelling from across the border during the four days of Operation Sindoor last year. HT spoke to the families of five victims one year later.Rameez Khan was one of them. The 46-year-old lost his 12-year-old twins, Zain and Zoya just as the family was preparing to leave town.“It feels like I have lost my purpose for living,” Khan said, his eyes moist.“When the shelling started, my son was terrified and we decided to leave Poonch. But shells struck outside our house,” he recalled. “I was injured in the attack and learned about my children after 15 days. I was shattered. They were everything to me, and I had so many plans for them. They were good in studies, and my son aspired to become a doctor. No parent should have to go through such pain,” said Khan, who works in the education department.In those four fateful days, 16 people – including four children – died in Poonch district alone.Shahida Kouser, whose husband Mohammad Abrar Malik was killed in the shelling on May 8, has been struggling to make ends meet since his death. “He was a driver and the sole breadwinner of our family. I have three children, all of whom are in school. I have not even been able to repair my house,” said the 36-year-old resident of Mandi tehsil in Poonch.“I still remember that night. He had gone to the washroom when the shelling began and he was killed. Our house was also damaged,” she added. “I have to ensure my children get an education, and there is no one else to support us.”Many older residents said they had seen shelling before, but never of that intensity and frequency.In a span of two days, authorities estimated 200 mortar shells were fired from across the border.“We still remember the moment shells fell on our house. My nephew, Amarjeet Singh (an ex-serviceman), was hit by shrapnel in his lung. Shells rained on Poonch from the night of May 6 to May 10, leaving destruction in every corner of the town,” said Surjan Singh, 60, whose nephew was killed.“We have not forgotten that horror. A year has passed, but our wounds are still fresh. We believe those who were killed made sacrifices for the country. We only request the government to assist us in building shelters so that we can save our lives in such situations,” he added.